Valve-gear



Patented Mar. 28, |899. L. A. LANG.

vALvE GEAR. (Application led Nov. i8, 1898.) (No Model.)

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Witnesses Inventor Attorney @Nimh rares ATENT Fries.

LINCOLN A. LANG, OF YULE, NORTH DAKOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDVARD FREEMAN WALSH, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

VALVE-G EAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,829, dated March 28, 1899. 'Application iile November 18, 1898. Serial No. 696,807. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, LINCOLN A. LANG, of Yule, Billings county, North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve-Gears, (Oase B,) of Which the following is a speciication.

This invention pertains to improvements in valve-gears specially desirable for locomotives, and the improvements will be readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings?, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a locomotiveframe in conjunction with a typical equalizing system; Fig. 2, a portion of the same represented on an enlarged scale, the equalizing devices being omitted and the valve-gear at one side of the engine being shown; and Fig. 3, a plan of the eccentric-pivot.

Reference may be made to United States Letters Patent No. 607,058, granted July 12, 1398, to me and Edward Freeman Walsh as my assignee for improvements in valvegears, on which the present improvement is founded.

In the drawings, 1 indicates one of the side frames of alocomotive having three drivingaxles; 2, the front axle; 3, the middle axle, from which the valve motion is derived; 4, the rear axle; 5, the pedestal-boxes, springinounted through the medium of equalizers, as usual; 6, the crank, shown as on the forward center, the valve-gear being shown for forward motion; 7, the cross-head pin at front end of stroke; 8, position of cross-head pin at rear end of stroke; 9, the valve, all the parts thus far referred to being exemplified by not unusual construction; 10, the eccentric, mounted on axle 3, the valve-gear pertaining to one cylinder involving but a single actuating-eccentric; 11, the eccentric-strap; l2, a pivot-bearing supported by the frame; 13, a pivot mounted in said bearing, which pivot may, if desired, extend across the locomotive and serve for the valve-gear of both sides; 14an eccentric mounted on pivot 13 and movable about the axis of pivot 13, the eccentric serving as an eccentric-pivot for a bell-crank, this eccentric, to distinguish it from the actuating-eccentric 10, being hereinafter referred to as thel eccentric-pivotg 15, an arm fast with eccentric-pivot 14; 16, a connection pivoted to arm 15 and to the pedestal-box 5 of axle 3, so that as the pedestal box or bearing rises and falls with reference to the frame the eccentric-pivot will be turned; 17, one arm of a bell-crank pivoted.

on eccentric-pivot 14; 18, a pivot connecting the extremity of this arm with the strap of eccentric 10; 19, the second arm of the bellcrank rigid with arm 17 20, a pivot at the extremity of arm 19 and forming the pivot of oscillation for the link; 21,.the link centrally pivoted on pivot 20; 22, a second pivot carried by the strap of eccentric 10; 23, a connection pivoted to the lower extremity of link 21 and to the eccentric-strap at pivot 22; 24, the link-block, adjustable in the link; 25, the valve-stem; 26, a double-armed rocker, one arm of which is connected to the valve-stem; 27, a radius-rod pivoted to the link-block and to the second arm of rocker 26; 2S, reversingshaft mounted in the frame; 29, arms fast thereon; 30, connection pivoted to the lower one of arms 29 and to the radius-rod 27, and 31 reverse-lever rod to go, as usual, back to the quadrant in the cab.

In Fig. 2 crank 6 appears on forward center, the valve being line and line for forward steam-port and back exhaust-port. The linkarc is struck from the forward pivot of radius-rod 27. Consequently the link block may be moved up and down in the link without any disturbance of the valve. It follows that lead may be perfectly equalized through all points of back and forward gear. It is to be noticed that in the instant position shown for the eccentric the energy of the eccentric Will be devoted almost entirely to moving pivot 22 forward, vertical motion of the eccentric at this time being practically negli-- IOO system involving an eccentric and link. Not only this, but the slip of the block is reduced, and the port-openin g at short cut-offs is greatly increased over what is possible in usual constructions. In best practice with ordinary Stevenson link system cutting off at onequarter stroke gives maximum port-opening of ive-sixteenths of an inch, between threesixteenths and a quarter of an inch of this amount being obtained from the lead. Under similai` conditions the present valve-gear would produce seven-sixteenths of an inch port-opening, the lead being equalized at oneeighth of an inch for all points of cut-off.

It is to be observed that the function of the eccentric in opening and closing the ports is concentrated into a rapid performance when the crank is near the centers, intermediate travel of the valve being effected more deliberately, while the eccentric motion is largely vertical. The vertical motion of the eccentric raises pivot 18 and gives a constant back and forward motion to pivot 20 and the link and the valve. As thus far considered eccentricpivot 14 may be assumed as forming a stationary pivot; but under such conditions it is obvious that if axle 3 move vertically with reference to the frame as permitted by the springs and equalizing system the vertical position of pivot 1S and the fore-and-aft position of the link would be modified, thus distoi-ting the motion normally,- due to the action of the eccentric; but owing to the angular adjustability of eccentric-pivot 14 and to connections 16 any vertical movement of the pedestal-box of axle 3 rotates the eccentricpivot and imparts a fore-and-aft motion to pivot 20 and the link in compensation of the disturbing motions which would otherwise result from the vertical movement of the axle relative to the frame. In the construction shown in Fig. 2 the radius-rod is above and uninterfered with by front axle 2, the system thus avoiding the necessity for the usual bends in the blades of eccentric-straps.

In locomotives deriving the valve motion from the front axle the arm of rocker 26, to which radius-rod 27 is connected, may extend upward, as shown, or it may extend downward, the latter arrangement obviously resulting in causing the lower end of the link to correspond with forward motion, In such locomotives not only may a choice be made between the upper and lower ends of the link for the forward motion, but one side of the engine'lnay be arranged to utilize the upper end of the link for the forward motion, while the other side of the engine uses the lower end of its link for forward motion, reversing the gear in such case consisting in raising one radius-rod and lowering the other, a relative motion which permits of the two radius-rods being arranged to balance each other.

Understanding from Fig. 2 that, ignoring the adjustability of the pivot formed by eccentric 14, the distortion of the functional motions of the gear would be due to the rising and falling of axle 8 relative to the pivot formed by eccentric 14, it is clear that if that pivot were carried directly by the pedestal-box of axle 3 the distortion would not take place, for axle 3 and the pivot of the bell-crank would then maintain constant relationship to each other, regardless of their vertical motions with reference to the frame; but in such case all of the shocks incident to the running of the drivers over the railwaytrack would become transmitted to the gear and tend to its destruction; but in the construction illustrated the rising-and-falling motion of axle 3 is transmitted through connection 1G to arm 15 and eccentric 14 and serves to angularly adjust the latter parts without vertical shock to the vital parts of the gear and in full compensation of the disturbing effects otherwise due to the movement of the axle relative to the frame.

The reversing-lever system illustrated is merely exemplifying in character, as is also the mounting of the eccentric-pivot.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a valvegear, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a frame, an axlebearing spring mounted therein, an axle journaled in said bearing, an eccentric on said axle, a link, a link-block sliding therein,valveoperating connections from said block, a sup'- porting-pivot for said link, and connections between said spring-mounted bearing and said supporting-pivot to cause said supporting-pivot to be moved relative to the frame as the spring-mounted bearing moves in the' frame.

2. In a valve-gear, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a frame, an axlebearing spring mounted therein, an axle jour'- naled in said bearing, an eccentric 011 said axle, a link,a link-block sliding therein ,valveoperating connections from said block, an ec-l centric-pivot mounted on said frame, an arm mounted on said eccentric-pivot and pivotally supporting said link, and connections between said spring-mounted bearing and said eccentric-pivot to cause the movement of the spring-mounted bearing relative to the frame to turn said eccentric-pivot.

3. In a valve-gear, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a frame, an axlebearing mounted therein and capable of motion in the frame, an axle mounted' in the bearing, an eccentric on the axle, an eccentric-pivot mounted on the frame, connections between the axle-bearing and the eccentricpivot to cause the pivot to be turned by the movement of the axle-bearing in the frame, a strap on the eccentric, a bell-crank mounted on the eccentric-pivot and having one of its arms connected with said strap, a link pivotally mounted on the other arm of the bellcrank lever, a connection pivoted to said link and said strap, a block sliding in said link, and valve connections from said block.

4. In a valve-gear, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a frame, an axle- IOO IIC

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bearing mounted adjustable therein, an axle mounted in said bearing, an eccentric on said axle, an oscillating link, a connection from the eccentric to the link to cause the eccentric to oscillate the link, a block 'adjustable in the link,valve connections from said block, a pivot of oscillation supporting saidv link, and mechanism for adjusting said pivot of oscillation relative to said frame in corre- Io spondence With 'the adjustment of the axlebearing in the frame. I

5. In link valve-gears for locomotive-en- 

